[hart]

I went to an interview with a head hunter on Friday who had said bring a portfolio (this was primarily a fashion industry firm.) I had kind of a :/ face as I had linked her to my web site which IS my portfolio at this point. I haven't made anything on paper in years. So I load up my web site on my lap top and bring it in anyway.

When I get there another woman had an actual paper portfolio in the traditional black case and they were all gushy about it whereas they had looked kind of . . . less than enthusiastic about my virtual portfolio to the point where they didn't even look at it. I guess I just didn't realize people were still doing that or maybe it's just that the fashion industry is kind of retro. But assuming the paper portfolio is still a factor that means I'd have to get all my stuff printed out somehow.

So is it the fashion industry or is it still standard to bring a paper portfolio to interviews. In what industries? And what is considered appropriate printing methods to translate a digital image to a paper image? I guess I've been all cooped up in my digital shell and I've lost track.

[Phileas]

I haven't seen a paper portfolio in years. My suggestion would be to invest in an iPad, or Android device if you prefer, then load your portfolio on that.

If they're still stupid after that, change headhunters.

[Eug]

Sorry to highjack the thread, but is the colour of the iPad accurate?

I haven't tested it out in that context, as it looks "close enough" for basic web surfing.

[andi*pandi]

If they're not going to look at her laptop, they're not going to look at an iPad either, unfortunately.

I still have my print portfolio, and if I were to go job hunting I'd update it with printouts of my web work, in addition to my online portfolio. Some people like to touch things and see them 100%. HR departments don't always forward on links or PDFs.

[hart]

Never thought about color correction on an ipad. Have to look that up.

[andi*pandi]

My portfolio looks pretty good on the iPad colorwise, in spite of the javascript popup being a little futzy.

[olePigeon]

I think it depends on where you're applying, however, there's something to be said about physically touching and holding the objects in a portfolio. Back when I still did graphic design, I had done various flyers, programs, and tickets for different award shows. People liked to hold the program and open it (which was die cut with a cool cityscape that wasn't readily obvious until you opened it.) Almost everyone would move their fingers over it to feel the texture of the die cut.

For some reason it was the show tickets that got the most handled. People liked to pick them up and look at them.

[Phileas]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

If they're not going to look at her laptop, they're not going to look at an iPad either, unfortunately.

Not sure if I'd agree with that. Looking at a portfolio on the iPad is a very different experience from looking at a portfolio on a laptop screen - it's far closer to a paper portfolio.

If a web designer would show me her/his portfolio printed out I'd be puzzled, to say the least.

[andi*pandi]

I haven't abandoned print entireely... but the point of this thread is, are there people out there who prefer physical to digital portfolios? The answer is yes, and we need to have both at the ready, or know our audience extremely well.

Looking at my portfolio on the iPad, the images are much smaller than your typical portfolio page. Even accounting for zooming in, etc. Hmm, a factor in my next redesign mayhap.

[MrsLarry]

The last time I was interviewing for jobs, 3ish years ago, I brought a paper portfolio everywhere, and if I were to start interviewing again, would probably do the same. Then again, I'm an in-house designer, and often the people I interview with aren't "techie creative types" who might appreciate the digital version.

[hart]

So how do you print your stuff? Not to sound thick but what is a viable method for printing things aimed at a portfolio?

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by hart 

So how do you print your stuff? Not to sound thick but what is a viable method for printing things aimed at a portfolio?

When I need quality print-out of my print work, I go to a couple of small independent print shops I deal with for their best digital outputs. I know their color will be accurate (as opposed to a Kinkos print) and will be on quality paper. I usually provide an optimized PDF for the output.

[Wiskedjak]

I abandoned print for my portfolio for photography and software design the day I got a small enough laptop. Even better now with the iPad, as now I can actually pass it around rather than force the viewer to lean into a laptop being shoved around a table.

But, I can certainly see fashion as being different. From my perspective, it subscribes to an older school and most of their output is physical-world stuff, so it doesn't surprise me that they might expect a more physical world portfolio.

[MrsLarry]

Originally Posted by hart 

So how do you print your stuff? Not to sound thick but what is a viable method for printing things aimed at a portfolio?

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

When I need quality print-out of my print work, I go to a couple of small independent print shops I deal with for their best digital outputs. I know their color will be accurate (as opposed to a Kinkos print) and will be on quality paper. I usually provide an optimized PDF for the output.

Ditto. Plus, I whenever I'm having pieces printed for work, I always get samples from the printer sent to me, that's just a good idea anyway. So a lot of my pieces are actual samples, not just print outs.

[hart]

Thanks guys for the feedback. Of course, paper portfolio=$$ whereas a virtual one doesn't really cost anything. I think I'm going to see if I get a lot of requests for a "real" portfolio before I go to the effort.